There are now just 13 days left in the 60-day public comment period for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) proposal to reschedule marijuana.
On May 21, the DEA published its marijuana rescheduling plans in the Federal Register, initiating a legally required 60-day public comment period. As of July 9, with 13 days remaining, 28,000 comments have been submitted.
Approximately 70% of these comments urge the DEA to go even further, advocating for full descheduling, decriminalization, or legalization of marijuana. Descheduling would decriminalize the plant nationwide by removing it entirely from the federal Controlled Substances Act.
Less than 10% of the comments support the DEA retaining the status quo, keeping marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it remains illegal for all purposes under all conditions.
The DEA’s proposal to move marijuana to Schedule III would be the first change to its scheduling status since the Controlled Substances Act was enacted in 1970. Reclassifying marijuana would recognize its medical value and permit its compounds and medicines to be prescribed nationwide. It would also offer federal protections to state-legal medical marijuana businesses and patients, including allowing licensed marijuana businesses to take IRS tax deductions.
All comments to the DEA are publicly accessible and can be viewed by clicking here. You can submit your own comment by clicking here.
Polling released in May found that two-thirds of voters in the United States support the move to reclassify marijuana.
